Jackson police unveil new support center
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DOWNTOWN JACKSON, Tenn. — Cameras watching over some of Jackson’s most high crime areas are now being monitored by officers 24-7 from one location. It is new technology the department says they hope will reduce crime. Eight 80″ monitors light up an old conference room at the Jackson Police Department, now home to the station’s new operations support center. It gives a birds-eye view of the city’s high crime areas. “We’re looking for large crowds gathering, any kind of activity that may indicate a fight or anything associated with drug activity,” Interim Jackson Police Chief Julian Wiser said. With officers monitoring the cameras 24 hours a day, the department said they hope it will deter crime. “If we have a uptick in crime anywhere in the city, we’re going to have a mapping system so they can move resources up there,” Chief Wiser said. The two officers, who are watching the cameras on rotating shifts have the ability to find out different things that are happening around the city by even zooming in and getting a better description of a suspect. “If they can actually zoom in and see crime and see faces that’s definitely better for the city and an upgrade for the city,” resident Porsha Grimes said. Currently all 18 cameras are scattered around neighborhoods from east to west Jackson, but Chief Wiser said there are nine more on the way come July. “We have people calling in, wanting to get cameras up,” Wiser said. “It’s really just had a positive impact.” And residents already have ideas on where the next ones should be. “I think there needs to be more over in the East Chester area and further up north area as well,” Grimes said. WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News had hoped to share with you statistics on how crime has decreased in the neighborhoods that have had cameras over the past six months, but the department said they would not have those figures ready until at least the middle of next week. The operation center was completely funded by a number of grants.
